I've been using my new 650mAh Variable Voltage eGo for about a week now. Here's the specs on this thing:
Grade: C+
Would I recomend? No
My Rundown:
PROS:
CONS:
In-Depth Analysis:
Why I bought this battery and positive featues:
I bought this particular e-cig because I wanted a compact variable voltage device. Appealing features of this battery, as opposed to other similar VV devices out there (such as the Twist or Spinner), was the extended voltage range, battery level indicator, and passthrough capability.
I already had a VV iTaste as well as a generic bulky tube mod, neither of which had the range this VV eGo has. While I haven't found a need to go up to 6 volts yet, I thought it would be desirable. Actually, I don't know what atomizer/tank part I have that would actually support 6 volts without frying it. I liked that this device allows you to adjust the voltage in 0.1v increments (while my iTaste allows for this, the tube mod I have only has 3 settings).
I also liked the ability to see the actual voltage reading in numbers on the LCD screen, as compared to other twisting/spinning batteries. A big plus with this VV eGo is also the battery level indicator. I have found the LCD screen stays on for approximately 4 seconds before automatically turning off, which is a very decent (the iTaste I have stays on barely 2 seconds before automatically turning off, so you have to be quick to read or adjust settings). If the battery level indicator is low on bars and you lower your voltage, you might get an extra bar displayed, so the battery displays the remaining charge based on set voltage and calculates accordingly. The LCD screen only turns on when you press one of the + or - buttons: it does not stay on while you vape, which would drain the battery. The power button does light up whenever you press it, which is helpful in the case of this battery since I've found it difficult to know where the button is or if I'm correctly pushing it.
Dislikes:
While all those appealing features sold me on the product, actual use is another thing. There are some essential functions of this device which do not perform to my liking. This battery is not very accessible, and I highly discourage it for anyone with any hand or eyesight impairments.
Power button: The power button is recessed, so that it does not protrude out like other batteries. This button is also under a rubber layer that wraps around the top of the battery, making it difficult to distinguish its location. There is little color variance from the actual button and the rest of this rubber coating, and the tactile raised power design isn't that effective. This covered recessed button requires a bit more pressure to fire, or rather there is more stress on various hand muscles because of this unconventional button configuration. It is not ergonomically friendly in that way. For these reasons, if you have any difficulty with your hands (dexterity, arthritis, carpal tunnel, etc.), I advise users to stay away from this model.
The battery does not instantly cut off when you depress the power button, and so the atomizer device will continue to burn a second after you release the button. This just takes some getting used to and I can't decide if I completely dislike this characteristic.
LCD Display: The LCD screen is difficult to read because the black writing is very faint. Photos don't exactly capture what it looks in real life, but this photo I took is the best I could get (photos seem to magically enhance the LCD contrast):
Pass-through capability: If your battery runs out and you plug it in to use as a pass-through, I found it very difficult to actually get any power. The battery's power button and LCD screen would flash, indicating an exhausted battery, and not allow me to consecutively draw a successful vape until it had a bit more recharge. I don't know if this is a common deficit to similar USB pass-through batteries, but I have not encountered this issue with my other power depleted batteries I subsequently plug in to continue vaping via pass-through.
Poor aesthetics: This VV eGo battery is not very aesthetically pleasing to me. I remarked about the power button's essentially absent contrast to the clear rubber banding. This clear-ish rubber banding looks tacky and not streamlined. I actually first thought this clear rubber band was a type of factory-installed protective layer that needed to be removed, similar to how some screens have a clear protective layer you peel away. This rubber band material also can sort of slide around, or perhaps my rubber band just wasn't cut completely evenly, and thus the appearance is not very solid or professional looking.
The actual body of the cigarette sort of looks like it was wrapped in gray cardboard, but it obviously isn't composed of cardboard. I don't know what it's covered in, but it does look more liked it's wrapped with a sticker than composed of a solid or more permanent covering. It's a bit matte and drab, though some may prefer this look.
Undesired physical size relative to performance: For 650mAhs this battery seems unnecessarily huge and therefore outdated. It is claimed that the variable voltage advanced technology in this battery requires the extra length. I prefer smaller, more compact e-cigs, and the length of this battery is not appealing to me.
With upping the voltage, the battery of course will be depleted more rapidly. The strain of adjusting the voltage and illumination of the LCD screen contribute to the drain. I do not have any other 650mAh batteries to compare charge life with (the lowest I have I think are 800mAh Leos), so perhaps my criticism is unjust, but I mention my personal feelings about this particular battery's performance. 650 mAhs for a variable voltage e-cig does not seem very sensible to me, unless you are exclusively using it as a pass-through.
Photos of my battery:
I decorated mine with nail polish, using masking tape to temporarily block where I didn't want the nail polish. I first was thinking of doing a plaid design, but then this sorta Frank Lloyd Wrightish/Art Deco look started to emerge. I thought I might as well stop early in my design process since the minimalist simplicity of it makes it more appealing. Also sorta has an industrial look with the colors. The nail polish I used was Sally Hansen's "Chrome Makeup" in 13 Aquamarine Chrome. On my nails it looked just basically silver, so I thought it would be more subtle on this battery, but on this battery the blue comes out more. I then coated it with clear nail polish to protect my design from wearing away.
650mAh VV eGo Battery wish Mini ViVi Nova:
The new 650mAh VV eGo next to a 1100mAh Riva/KGO battery. Both have a Mini ViVi Nova attached:
And here's a photo of this 650mAh VV eGo next to the 900mAh VV iTaste. You can see how they're pretty much the same size. Both have a Mini ViVi Nova on:
Where to buy:
I got my battery at ApolloEcigs.com, and the battery shows the eGo logo (with the little crown at the top) but no Apollo writing as displayed on the Apollo website (see pic below).
I mention the eGo logo with the crown because this is the same thing as a KGO (the KGO logo has a little crown to it). All the new VV eGos and new VV KGOs looks exactly the same and have the same specifications (650mAh, 0.1 increments, 3.0-6.0v range, etc.)
Apollo E-Cigs: Apollo eGo-VV Battery $24.99 (free shipping over $30, current coupon code FALL10 for 10% off)
The Plume Room: KGO Variable Voltage Battery by SLB | The Plume Room $25.99 (Free shipping over $50, best juice evar, and you can ask for free samples)
And there's other places out there, with more shops adding them to their new inventory. I am a cheapskate and saw that Apollo seemed to ultimately have the lowest cost, so I went with them since I've been wanting to try this company, even though I am usually a loyal Plume Room customer. Perhaps if I purchased through the Plume Room I'd feel more positive about this product since I may be biased based on previous quality products I've ordered. There's something about receiving a package whose contents are so carefully and attractively packaged that make it all seem more special. So, while I do not recommend this particular VV eGo from Apollo, I do encourage those who wish to try it to purchase from The Plume Room, if nothing else than for the added bonus of free gourmet e-liquid.
And as usual, no, not paid or bribed or anything to advertise for The Plume Room. Just a very happy and appreciative customer.
In the end, this battery is just OK. I prefer and would recommend most other similar e-cigs, variable voltage or not, over this battery. I don't have buyer's remorse, as this battery does have its merits and I bought it at a relatively good price, but I can't use it as an every day device. Everyone else seems to like this new VV eGo/KGO, and perhaps I'm too picky, but as a "new" vaper I feel my discerning criticisms could be valuable as a counterpoint to the lot of gushing positive reviews. Thanks for reading, even if you only read snippets. This has been my personal independent and unbiased review of this product, which includes my personal preferences, feelings, and my experiences.
- 3.0-6.0 Voltage range (the popular Twist only goes to 4.8v max)
- + and - buttons to adjust the voltage in 0.1v increments
- Recessed power button with 5-click on/off
- 650 mAh
- Approx 1.3cm x 11.5 cm (~1/2" x 4.5")
- In the box: Battery, USB charger/passthrough, manual.
Grade: C+
Would I recomend? No
My Rundown:
PROS:
- Good price for a VV device.
- Helpful to have battery meter.
- Small and compact VV device.
- Can adjust in .1 increments.
- Extended voltage range: 3.0-6.0 V.
- Pass-through ability, and comes with long cord to do so! It being a mini USB port makes it more universal.
- My little Acer netbook can actually handle this. Other passthroughs can overload the USB port.
CONS:
- Difficult to read LCD screen.
- Short battery life when using higher voltages.
- Power button is difficult to push, feel, find.
- Large size for only 650mAh.
- Only comes with USB plug, no wall adapter.
- Battery doesn't immediately stop firing when you depress it.
In-Depth Analysis:
Why I bought this battery and positive featues:
I bought this particular e-cig because I wanted a compact variable voltage device. Appealing features of this battery, as opposed to other similar VV devices out there (such as the Twist or Spinner), was the extended voltage range, battery level indicator, and passthrough capability.
I already had a VV iTaste as well as a generic bulky tube mod, neither of which had the range this VV eGo has. While I haven't found a need to go up to 6 volts yet, I thought it would be desirable. Actually, I don't know what atomizer/tank part I have that would actually support 6 volts without frying it. I liked that this device allows you to adjust the voltage in 0.1v increments (while my iTaste allows for this, the tube mod I have only has 3 settings).
I also liked the ability to see the actual voltage reading in numbers on the LCD screen, as compared to other twisting/spinning batteries. A big plus with this VV eGo is also the battery level indicator. I have found the LCD screen stays on for approximately 4 seconds before automatically turning off, which is a very decent (the iTaste I have stays on barely 2 seconds before automatically turning off, so you have to be quick to read or adjust settings). If the battery level indicator is low on bars and you lower your voltage, you might get an extra bar displayed, so the battery displays the remaining charge based on set voltage and calculates accordingly. The LCD screen only turns on when you press one of the + or - buttons: it does not stay on while you vape, which would drain the battery. The power button does light up whenever you press it, which is helpful in the case of this battery since I've found it difficult to know where the button is or if I'm correctly pushing it.
Dislikes:
While all those appealing features sold me on the product, actual use is another thing. There are some essential functions of this device which do not perform to my liking. This battery is not very accessible, and I highly discourage it for anyone with any hand or eyesight impairments.
Power button: The power button is recessed, so that it does not protrude out like other batteries. This button is also under a rubber layer that wraps around the top of the battery, making it difficult to distinguish its location. There is little color variance from the actual button and the rest of this rubber coating, and the tactile raised power design isn't that effective. This covered recessed button requires a bit more pressure to fire, or rather there is more stress on various hand muscles because of this unconventional button configuration. It is not ergonomically friendly in that way. For these reasons, if you have any difficulty with your hands (dexterity, arthritis, carpal tunnel, etc.), I advise users to stay away from this model.
The battery does not instantly cut off when you depress the power button, and so the atomizer device will continue to burn a second after you release the button. This just takes some getting used to and I can't decide if I completely dislike this characteristic.
LCD Display: The LCD screen is difficult to read because the black writing is very faint. Photos don't exactly capture what it looks in real life, but this photo I took is the best I could get (photos seem to magically enhance the LCD contrast):
Pass-through capability: If your battery runs out and you plug it in to use as a pass-through, I found it very difficult to actually get any power. The battery's power button and LCD screen would flash, indicating an exhausted battery, and not allow me to consecutively draw a successful vape until it had a bit more recharge. I don't know if this is a common deficit to similar USB pass-through batteries, but I have not encountered this issue with my other power depleted batteries I subsequently plug in to continue vaping via pass-through.
Poor aesthetics: This VV eGo battery is not very aesthetically pleasing to me. I remarked about the power button's essentially absent contrast to the clear rubber banding. This clear-ish rubber banding looks tacky and not streamlined. I actually first thought this clear rubber band was a type of factory-installed protective layer that needed to be removed, similar to how some screens have a clear protective layer you peel away. This rubber band material also can sort of slide around, or perhaps my rubber band just wasn't cut completely evenly, and thus the appearance is not very solid or professional looking.
The actual body of the cigarette sort of looks like it was wrapped in gray cardboard, but it obviously isn't composed of cardboard. I don't know what it's covered in, but it does look more liked it's wrapped with a sticker than composed of a solid or more permanent covering. It's a bit matte and drab, though some may prefer this look.
Undesired physical size relative to performance: For 650mAhs this battery seems unnecessarily huge and therefore outdated. It is claimed that the variable voltage advanced technology in this battery requires the extra length. I prefer smaller, more compact e-cigs, and the length of this battery is not appealing to me.
With upping the voltage, the battery of course will be depleted more rapidly. The strain of adjusting the voltage and illumination of the LCD screen contribute to the drain. I do not have any other 650mAh batteries to compare charge life with (the lowest I have I think are 800mAh Leos), so perhaps my criticism is unjust, but I mention my personal feelings about this particular battery's performance. 650 mAhs for a variable voltage e-cig does not seem very sensible to me, unless you are exclusively using it as a pass-through.
Photos of my battery:
I decorated mine with nail polish, using masking tape to temporarily block where I didn't want the nail polish. I first was thinking of doing a plaid design, but then this sorta Frank Lloyd Wrightish/Art Deco look started to emerge. I thought I might as well stop early in my design process since the minimalist simplicity of it makes it more appealing. Also sorta has an industrial look with the colors. The nail polish I used was Sally Hansen's "Chrome Makeup" in 13 Aquamarine Chrome. On my nails it looked just basically silver, so I thought it would be more subtle on this battery, but on this battery the blue comes out more. I then coated it with clear nail polish to protect my design from wearing away.
650mAh VV eGo Battery wish Mini ViVi Nova:
The new 650mAh VV eGo next to a 1100mAh Riva/KGO battery. Both have a Mini ViVi Nova attached:
And here's a photo of this 650mAh VV eGo next to the 900mAh VV iTaste. You can see how they're pretty much the same size. Both have a Mini ViVi Nova on:
Where to buy:
I got my battery at ApolloEcigs.com, and the battery shows the eGo logo (with the little crown at the top) but no Apollo writing as displayed on the Apollo website (see pic below).
I mention the eGo logo with the crown because this is the same thing as a KGO (the KGO logo has a little crown to it). All the new VV eGos and new VV KGOs looks exactly the same and have the same specifications (650mAh, 0.1 increments, 3.0-6.0v range, etc.)
Apollo E-Cigs: Apollo eGo-VV Battery $24.99 (free shipping over $30, current coupon code FALL10 for 10% off)
The Plume Room: KGO Variable Voltage Battery by SLB | The Plume Room $25.99 (Free shipping over $50, best juice evar, and you can ask for free samples)
And there's other places out there, with more shops adding them to their new inventory. I am a cheapskate and saw that Apollo seemed to ultimately have the lowest cost, so I went with them since I've been wanting to try this company, even though I am usually a loyal Plume Room customer. Perhaps if I purchased through the Plume Room I'd feel more positive about this product since I may be biased based on previous quality products I've ordered. There's something about receiving a package whose contents are so carefully and attractively packaged that make it all seem more special. So, while I do not recommend this particular VV eGo from Apollo, I do encourage those who wish to try it to purchase from The Plume Room, if nothing else than for the added bonus of free gourmet e-liquid.
And as usual, no, not paid or bribed or anything to advertise for The Plume Room. Just a very happy and appreciative customer.In the end, this battery is just OK. I prefer and would recommend most other similar e-cigs, variable voltage or not, over this battery. I don't have buyer's remorse, as this battery does have its merits and I bought it at a relatively good price, but I can't use it as an every day device. Everyone else seems to like this new VV eGo/KGO, and perhaps I'm too picky, but as a "new" vaper I feel my discerning criticisms could be valuable as a counterpoint to the lot of gushing positive reviews. Thanks for reading, even if you only read snippets. This has been my personal independent and unbiased review of this product, which includes my personal preferences, feelings, and my experiences.
